Apple settles 17" Studio Display suit

Apple has settled a class-action lawsuit regarding its 17-inch LCD Studio Displays, which was filed after numerous customers experienced backlight outages related to the DC-AC inverters that shipped with the units. U.S. residents who purchased a new 17-inch LCD Studio Display and who have already paid or will pay in the future for a repair covered by the settlement may be entitled to benefits under the lawsuit. Display owners must file claims for repairs made on or before November 13th, 2006 by the deadline of February 12th, 2007. For all repairs completed after November 13th, 2006, owners must submit claims within the earlier of 90 days after the repair or by August 31st, 2007. The lawsuit website provides display owners with instructions for filing claims, as well as copies or legal documents related to the suit. [updated]

"The lawsuit claimed that the inverter board of the Display was faulty, causing the gradient dimming of the top or bottom half of the screen of the Display and a power light to constantly blink on and off in a short-short-long pattern to signal a problem," the website reads. "Apple denies all allegations and has asserted many defenses. The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing or an indication that any law was violated."

A frequently asked questions area explains what the lawsuit is about, the benefits of members, how to request documents by mail, and more. Users looking for a refund on a repair performed by a third-party provider must show proof of the covered repair, and the court is scheduled to hold a hearing on February 15th, 2007 to decide whether to approve the settlement. Following a potential approval of the settlement by Judge West, appeals may delay the case upwards of a year.

Filed under: Apple